Timer apparatus with radio frequency card reader

ABSTRACT

Described are timer apparatus comprising: a timer configured to measure a predetermined time period associated with a physical location; a display screen for displaying information pertaining to the predetermined time period; a radio frequency (RF) electronic card reader; and a metal housing comprising: a housing cover comprising a display aperture through which the display screen is visible, the housing cover interfacing with an existing housing base to enclose and protect the timer, the display screen, and the RF electronic card reader from an environment of the physical location.

DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to single bay parking meters, devices thereforand a method of upgrading a parking meter.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a single bay parkingmeter device which includes

a timer;

a payment facilitating arrangement operable in cooperation with anon-cash payment medium for effecting payment of a monetary amount for aparking period;

a display means for displaying a balance remaining of the parkingperiod; and

a power supply unit for supplying power to the timer, the paymentfacilitating arrangement and the display means.

A parking meter device in accordance with the invention may have anaccess opening in which the card may be inserted and a reading devicefor reading information and data on the card. The card may have amagnetic strip or a chip, such that the reading device may be such as toread a magnetic strip and/or a chip. The parking meter device mayfurther have a writing device for writing data onto or into the card.

The payment facilitating arrangement may then have a wireless bankinginformation transmitting means for transmitting financial transactiondata to a banking system in order to debit the appropriate account, asdetermined from the card, and credit the account of the parkingoperator. The banking information transmitting means may operate on anon-line or off-line manner. It may use a cellular telephone network suchas CDMA or GSM, or WI-Fi and IP Embedded Wireless.

Further according to the invention, the payment facilitating arrangementmay have a wireless purse communicating means for communicating with anelectronic purse, in accordance with any suitable protocol, whereby anappropriate amount may be deducted from the value stored in the purse.The banking information transmitting means will then be operable tocredit the account of the parking operator with the amount by which thepurse was decreased. The purse may, for example, be a toll roadelectronic pass. The purse communicating means may detect, in use, whena vehicle having an electronic purse parks in the relevant parking bayand then automatically deduct the appropriate amount for a predeterminedtime period. If the vehicle is still parked in the bay at the end of thepredetermined time period, the appropriate amount is again automaticallydeducted. This may then occur repeatedly until such time as the maximumpermitted parking time has been reached, at which time no further moneyis deducted and a parking expired signal is provided.

Still further according to the invention, the parking meter device mayhave a payment received arrangement for receiving an instruction from acall centre that payment has been effected, via the call centre, from acellular telephone.

The parking meter device may have a solar power charging arrangementwhereby the power supply unit is recharged by solar energy. The parkingmeter device may then also have a power management facility.

As a further feature, the parking meter device may have a locatingarrangement for determining the location of the parking meter device.The locating arrangement may be GPS operable.

The parking meter device may have a management communication arrangementfor communicating management information to a management centre. Forexample such management information may include malfunction details, atampering alert, duration expiration and the location of the parkingmeter device.

The parking meter device in accordance with the invention may also havea coin accepting and validating arrangement.

It is emphasized that the parking meter device is for a single parkingbay or space.

The display means may also display that the parking time paid for hasexpired.

The parking meter device may have a selection means for selecting theduration of parking time required and the appropriate cost thereof,whereby a person wishing to park (the “parker”) may select the desiredtime duration.

The parking meter device in accordance with the invention may bereceivable in a conventional single space parking meter housing, such asthat supplied by Duncan Industries, POM or Mackay.

Further in accordance with the invention there is provided a single bayparking meter which includes a parking meter device as described above.

Still further in accordance with the invention there is provided a coverfor a single bay parking meter, which is engageable with a conventionalsingle space parking meter housing base such that the cover of anexisting parking meter may be replaced with one in accordance with theinvention to accommodate a parking meter device in accordance with theinvention in an existing conventional housing base.

The invention extends to a method of controlling parking in a singleparking bay, which includes accepting payment for parking in the bay bymeans of a credit or debit card account, from an electronic purse, or bymeans of a cellular telephone.

If payment is effected by means of a credit or debit card account, themethod may include transmitting data in a wireless manner to a firstfinancial institution to debit an account of the parker and a secondfinancial institution to credit the account of a parking operator.

If payment is effected from an electronic purse, then the method mayinclude transmitting financial data in a wireless manner with the firstfinancial institution to debit an account of the purse administrator andwith the second financial institution to credit the account of theparking operator.

Similarly, if payment is effected by means of a cellular telephone, thenthe method may include receiving an authorisation signal that paymentfor the parking has been made. This signal may be provided by the secondfinancial institution or from a control centre.

Further, if payment is effected from an electronic purse, then themethod may include automatically detecting that a vehicle associatedwith the electronic purse has parked in the bay and automaticallydeducting an appropriate amount from the purse for a predeterminedparking time period. If the vehicle is still parked in the bay at theend of the predetermined time period a further amount may beautomatically deducted from the purse for a further predeterminedparking time period. This may be repeated until a maximum permittedparking time has elapsed.

The method of controlling parking may include sensing if a vehicle isparked in the bay when the paid for parking time has expired or themaximum parking time has been exceeded and transmitting a time expiredsignal to a management centre. A location signal, providing the locationof the bay, may also be transmitted.

The invention extends further to a method of operating a single bayparking meter, which includes effecting payment for parking in a bayassociated with the meter by means of a debit or credit card, electronicpurse or cellular telephone.

The method of operating the parking meter may include inserting a cardinto a card reader slot of the meter.

The invention extends still further to a method of upgrading an existingparking meter, which includes

removing a cover of the parking meter from a housing base thereof;

removing an existing parking meter device from the housing base;

attaching a new cover to the housing base;

inserting a new parking meter device as described above in the housingbase; and

closing the new cover.

The invention is now described, by way of a non-limiting example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of a single bay parking meterdevice in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective rear view of the parking meter device;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective front view of a parking meter in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 4 shows a view in more detail of a control window of the parkingmeter;

FIG. 5 shows a perspective rear view of the parking meter;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective front view of the parking meter with a coverthereof opened to provide access to the parking meter device housedtherein;

FIG. 7 shows the housing and open cover of the parking meter with theparking meter device adjacent thereto; and

FIG. 8 shows a block diagram illustrating the components of the parkingmeter device.

Referring to the drawings, in particular FIGS. 1 and 2, a parking meterdevice in accordance with the invention is designated generally byreference numeral 10. The parking meter device 10 is for a single bayparking meter. The parking meter device 10 has a lower portion 12 and anupper portion 14. The lower portion 12 of the parking meter device 10has the same shape and dimensions as the housing base of conventionalknown single bay parking meter devices. As will be explained below,because the lower portion 12 of the parking meter device in accordancewith the invention has the same shape and dimensions as existing singlebay parking meter devices, the parking meter device 10 in accordancewith the invention is receivable in a housing base of an existinginstalled parking meter and the parking meter device 10 of the inventionmay be retrofitted to such existing installed meters, thereby upgradingthem.

The lower portion 12 of the parking meter device 10 has a coin acceptingand validating assembly 16 with a coin slot 18.

In the upper portion 14 of the parking meter device there is a cardreading device 20 with an access opening 22, on a front side of theparking meter device 10, into which a credit or debit card may beinserted to be read by the reading device 20. Also in the upper portion14, on its front side, are a keypad sensor 24 and a display 26. Aninfrared receiver and transmitter 27 are provided whereby managementdata and operational software may be transferred to and from a portablecommunication device (not shown).

On the rear side of the upper portion 14 of the parking meter device 10(FIG. 2) there is a solar panel 28 and a flip dot expiry indicator. Ared LED 31 and a green LED 33 are also provided to indicate if the paidfor parking period has expired or not. In use these LED's areilluminated in a flashing manner.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 a single bay parking meter 32 isshown. The parking meter 32 has a housing base 34 which is the same asthat of existing conventional single bay parking meters. It also has acover 36 which is different from the covers of existing parking meters,and which accommodates and is adapted in accordance with the upperportion 14 of the parking meter device 10 of the invention. It will beseen that that part of the parking meter device 10 having the coin slot18 and card reader access opening 22 are located in an opening definedbetween the housing base 34 and cover 36 to be accessible when theparking meter device 10 is placed in the housing 34 and the cover 36closed.

The cover 36 has, on its front side, a window 38 through which thedisplay 26 is visible and control touch keys 40 which interact with thekeypad sensor 24. On its rear side the cover 36 as a further window 40for the solar panel 28. An opening 42 is provided between the housing 34and cover 36 for the flip dot 30. A key hole 44 is located in thehousing 34 by means of which the cover 36 may be unlocked and opened, asshown in FIG. 6, so that the parking meter device 10 may be removed andreplaced, as shown in FIG. 7.

The various electrical and other components of the parking meter device10 are indicated in FIG. 8. Thus, the parking meter device 10 has thecoin accepting and validating assembly 16, the card reading device 20,the display 26, the touch keys 40, and the solar panel 28 referred toabove. In addition there is a power management facility 46, arechargeable, replaceable battery 48, random access memory 50, a centralcontroller 52, flash memory 54 for code, a real time clock 56, a coinvalidator interface 58, a card reader interface 60 for cards havingchips and magnetic strips and for RF electronic purses, a receiver 62for signals from such RF electronic purses, I/O hardware 64, sensors,switches and reset 66, an expiry indicator 68, a display driver for thedisplay 26, a communications subsystem 72, a cellular phone engine 74with its antenna 76, a Wi-Fi engine 78 and its antenna 80, a GPS unit 82and its antenna 84 and a serial/USB/IrDA port 86.

The controller 52 controls operation of the meter. An integrated deviceis used, providing RAM, ROM, and some I/O capabilities. Power downfeatures are of high importance when selecting the microcontroller, asthe meter is typically in the idle or sleep mode. A serial port isprovided for debug as well as connection to an external managementsystem.

To minimize power consumption, special power management circuitry isprovided to allow application of power to only the necessary peripheralsat only the necessary times. The power management facility also providesbattery status to the microcontroller to allow changes in operationbased on available power, as well as health reporting to the managementsystem.

An AMP card reader will be used as the external electrical/mechanicalcredit/smart card solution. One of two interfaces to the AMP device isthe card head interface. A Magtek Triple Track ASIC will be used toconvert the analog head signals to serial bit streams, readable by themicrocontroller. The second interface to the external AMP card connectoris the smart card interface. This block will provide necessary levelshifting and synchronization to allow the microcontroller to bit-bangthe smart card interface.

The coin validator interface 58 is an analog/digital block that connectsto 3 coils in the coin validator 16. The coils are energized, and thechange in inductance is measured as the coin passes through each of thecoils. This profile can then be correlated by the microcontroller to adatabase of known coins to determine the type of coin present.

The parking meter device 10 contains a number of switches such as touchkeys for user input, presence detection in the card reader, and doorswitches. The I/O hardware 64 allows the microcontroller to sense thestate of the switches.

An expansion interface may be provided that will allow a daughter cardassembly to be connected to the controller board. The communicationprotocol over the interface will support a minimum throughput of 20KB/s. The expansion interface is intended to allow the addition of acommunication device to the meter. Possible device types are: cellular,WiFi, Zigbee, and IrDA. Both communication signals and power will beprovided through the expansion connector.

The following will be displayed on the display 26:—which of the 4 userbuttons are pressed; information from a credit card; information from asmart card; which coins are passed through the coin validator.

As described in the introduction, a motorist will approach the meter andinsert either a coin or card into the meter. Either method will wake upthe electronic componentry and it will then either validate that it is acoin, credit card, debit/ATM card or a Smart Card. By inserting eitherthe required number of valid coins or by inserting a card andmanipulating the controls on the touch pad the motorist can determinethe amount of parking time he wishes to purchase. The amount of timepurchased is then displayed on the electronic display. The parking meterdevice will communicate with the credit card company wirelessly andauthorize the payment using that card.

Payment via an electronic tag or electronic toll road pass will be asfollows. The device will either sense or be advised by an electronicsensor that a motor vehicle has parked in the parking space. It willthen identify the electronic tag in the vehicle and after the vehiclehas been in that parking space for a predetermined time will then deducttime from the vehicles electronic tag for a predetermined length of timeand display that time on the electronic device's LCD Display. After thattime has been used up and the vehicle is still parked in that sameparking space the device will again deduct the required amount of moneyfrom the vehicles electronic tag and display that amount of time on thedevice's LCD display. This process will repeat itself until the vehiclehas stayed in the parking space for the maximum amount of time allowedfor that parking zone or area.

At a time determined by the owner or the controller of the parking area,the device will communicate with a management system. This can be donewirelessly or through a hand held device.

What is claimed is:
 1. A timer apparatus comprising: a) a timerconfigured to measure a predetermined time period associated with aphysical location; b) a display screen for displaying informationpertaining to the predetermined time period; c) a radio frequency (RF)electronic card reader; and d) a metal housing comprising: a housingcover comprising a display aperture through which the display screen isvisible, the housing cover interfacing with an existing housing base toenclose and protect the timer, the display screen, and the RF electroniccard reader from an environment of the physical location.
 2. The timerapparatus of claim 1, wherein the RF card reader is configured tocommunicate with wireless RF electronic purses.
 3. The timer apparatusof claim 1, wherein the display screen comprises a LCD display.
 4. Thetimer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information pertaining to thepredetermined time period comprises a duration.
 5. The timer apparatusof claim 1, wherein the information pertaining to the predetermined timeperiod comprises an expiration.
 6. The timer apparatus of claim 1,further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) element configuredto identify the physical location.
 7. The timer apparatus of claim 1,further comprising a wireless transceiver configured to communicateinformation pertaining to an RF electronic card or informationpertaining to the time period.
 8. The timer apparatus of claim 7,wherein the wireless transceiver communicates via a cellular network ora Wi-Fi network.
 9. The timer apparatus of claim 1, further comprising asolar panel and a solar power charging arrangement.
 10. The timerapparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electronic sensor configuredto detect a status of the physical location.
 11. The timer apparatus ofclaim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism to secure the housingcover to the existing housing base.
 12. The timer apparatus of claim 1,configured to upgrade the existing housing base by retrofit.